Volume One, Chapter Two: She Actually Shared Senses with a Stranger?

Someone else approached the entrance of the alley, making Wen Xuyu tense up again.

Lu Zhao stood a short distance away, his demeanor respectful. "Sir, everything has been taken care of. We can leave now."

"Mm," Bian Xunzhou replied indifferently, handing him the umbrella. Lu Zhao took it and held it over the two of them, his eyes lowered, not daring to look around.

Before Wen Xuyu could react, Bian Xunzhou scooped her up once more.

She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, letting out a startled cry.

"Where are you taking me?" she demanded. This man was clearly from a remarkable family; she had no intention of leaping from one fire into another.

Bian Xunzhou weighed her in his arms, observing her as if she were facing a formidable enemy, and suddenly felt an urge to tease her.

He leaned in slowly. Wen Xuyu held her breath, motionless, staring at him while her hands tightened discreetly around his neck.

If he tried anything, she would crash into him, bringing them both down together.

Sensing her anxiety, Bian Xunzhou let out a cold laugh, turning his head to whisper in her ear as though they were lovers. "Relax. I'm not interested in you."

With that, he strode out of the alley, carrying her.

Lu Zhao followed without a change in expression.

A black Maybach was parked by the side of the road at the alley’s entrance.

Bian Xunzhou placed Wen Xuyu in the back seat. Her soaked wedding dress soiled the upholstery, making her uneasy.

Her heart pounded with apprehension. She had no idea what kind of man this was.

"Bian Xunzhou. That's my name."

His cool, deep voice suddenly filled the confined space as he tossed her a towel from the back.

Wen Xuyu paused, then realized he was introducing himself.

"Wen Xuyu," she replied softly out of courtesy, her voice still trembling.

At some point, a partition had risen between the seats. Wen Xuyu lowered her head, drying herself slowly with the towel.

Time ticked by.

She could feel the man beside her watching her from the corner of his eye. His presence was overpowering, impossible to ignore.

Wen Xuyu thought it best to clarify things.

"Mr. Bian, when did you first notice our shared sense?" she asked.

Bian Xunzhou crossed his long legs, his finger tapping rhythmically on his silver watch. He didn't answer directly, but asked her a question instead.

"Do you really not remember what happened half a month ago?"

Wen Xuyu narrowed her eyes, her thoughts drifting back.

Half a month ago, because the Wen family had delayed their decision, the Lu family suggested a banquet so the third young master of the Lu family could choose his bride himself.

It was the first time Lady Wen—her birth mother, Jiang Lihua—had kept her close at such an event, introducing her to everyone as she shone in the spotlight.

Later, she made an excuse to get some air and went to the hotel’s rooftop. In a foul mood, she’d had a few drinks, and then... she’d fallen into the pool. She vaguely remembered a man pulling her out.

Thinking of this, Wen Xuyu frowned. "You were the one who saved me?"

"At least you’re not ungrateful," Bian Xunzhou nodded coolly.

"I started noticing something was wrong about a week ago," he said, turning his head, his dark eyes inscrutable, his tone tinged with irony. "Miss Wen, you’ve had quite the eventful week."

Wen Xuyu fell silent.

To prevent her from running away before the wedding, her family had locked her up. She was never welcome in that house; the servants treated her according to the wind, and sometimes she went two days without a meal.

Given their shared sensations, Bian Xunzhou must have suffered the consequences too.

She didn’t need him to elaborate; Wen Xuyu understood why he’d appeared there today.

"Do you know why this is happening?"

If they could resolve it sooner, they wouldn’t be tied together like this.

"I’m not sure yet," Bian Xunzhou replied, closing his eyes as if unwilling to continue the conversation.

Wen Xuyu, understanding the situation, didn’t press further.

She took out her phone, and as soon as she turned it on, a flood of notifications popped up with relentless "ding-ding-ding" sounds.

Her heart sank. Had Shen Mo been discovered?

There were dozens of calls, mostly from Wen Qianyu, the eldest son of the Wen family, and also from her father and mother.

Beyond the calls, there were messages—almost all scolding, interrogating, or threatening her.

[Come back immediately!]

[Wen Xuyu, you’ve grown bold, haven’t you? Dare to run away in secret? If I don’t see you by tomorrow night, just watch that person get thrown out of the hospital!]

She replied to none of them.

Just as she was about to switch off her phone, several breaking news notifications appeared.

#Second Miss Wen flees before her wedding, leaving Third Young Master Lu in an awkward position #Breaking

#Head of the Lu family livid; the scene was extremely awkward #Breaking

#Will the Wen and Lu families’ alliance survive? #Breaking

Her temples throbbed as she stared at the messages, then quietly turned off her screen.

Outside, the rain still fell, tapping against the glass and leaving winding trails as it slid down.

Wen Xuyu gazed out the window, clutching her phone tightly, her brows shadowed with worry.

The banquet had not been a small affair—attended by the elite of high society. Her departure was not only a slap in the Lu family’s face, but also disgraced both the Wen and Lu families.

Most importantly, without Lu family funding, the Wen family’s company would be unable to operate and risked bankruptcy due to poor management.

That, above all, was what they feared.

When she’d first returned to the Wen family, Jiang Lihua had treated her well. But later...

Wen Xuyu’s eyes reddened and her chest tightened with pain. She felt lost, shrouded in fog with no path forward.

Beside her, Bian Xunzhou slowly opened his eyes, arms folded as he watched the lonely, desolate figure of the woman before him, his thoughts unreadable.

Half an hour later, the car came to a gentle stop.

Lu Zhao got out and opened the door.

Bian Xunzhou walked to the other side, glanced at the elaborate and filthy wedding dress, and with a sweep of his hand, tore off the soiled hem.

"Ugly," he remarked.

Wen Xuyu couldn’t tell if he was criticizing the dress or her, so she said nothing. Bian Xunzhou picked her up again.

The first time had been awkward; the second time, Wen Xuyu felt almost nothing, though she still kept her arms tense, maintaining the final bit of distance.

Looking around, she realized they were in the hospital's underground parking lot.

It was nine o’clock at night; the hospital was nearly empty.

It seemed arrangements had already been made, for Bian Xunzhou carried her straight to the consultation room without hindrance.

The doctor, already waiting, quickly treated and bandaged Wen Xuyu.

"Her ankle is sprained. She needs plenty of rest, no strenuous activity, and apply this ointment on time," the doctor instructed.

Lu Zhao accepted the medicine and went out to pay the bill.

The doctor glanced at the oddly dressed woman and the cool, patrician man at her side, but wisely asked no questions.

Still, the woman looked familiar...

Sensing the doctor's scrutiny, Wen Xuyu pursed her lips uneasily. When Bian Xunzhou moved to pick her up again, she raised her hand to refuse.

"I can walk myself."

She could not bear any more embarrassment.

Bian Xunzhou looked her up and down, his voice lazy. "Are you planning to walk out barefoot, or will you drag me down with you, repaying kindness with harm...?"

Even without him finishing, Wen Xuyu understood. They were now "bound by fate"—if she felt pain, so would he.

Wen Xuyu felt a pang of regret; she’d spoken too hastily without thinking.

The doctor, meanwhile, watched covertly, trying to interpret their relationship.

"Sorry to trouble you," Wen Xuyu muttered, mortified, turning away and awkwardly opening her arms to Bian Xunzhou.

A faint, satisfied smile flickered in Bian Xunzhou's eyes.

After they left, the doctor checked his phone and saw the news alert—so the woman he had just treated was the notorious Second Miss Wen who had fled her wedding that very night?

And the man with her—who could he be?